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MiddleEastMonitor.com: Sudan: State of emergency declared as protestors call for ‘fall of regime’

Posted by: Berhane.Habtemariam59@web.de

Date: Friday, 21 December 2018

Hundreds of protesters come together during a demonstration against the soaring prices, the scarcity of basic goods and services in Sudan on 20 December 2018

December 21, 2018 at 12:46 pm

Hundreds of protesters yesterday took to the streets across Sudan against “soaring prices and the scarcity of basic goods and services”, local media reported.

The protesters condemned the “high cost of living”, with some demanding the “overthrow of the regime” led by President Omar Al-Bashir. They were reported to have set fire to the headquarters of Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party in Sudan’s north-eastern city of Atbara.

The country’s eastern city of Port Sudan also witnessed demonstrations organised by high school and university students. Local police dispersed the protestors using teargas.

Protests in the capital, Khartoum, were also dispersed using teargas. Some arrested were reported to have been made.

Reuters said that at least eight civilians were killed – six in eastern city of Al-Qadarif and two more in northern Nile River state – in the protests.

As a result of the nation-wide turmoil, state authorities have declared a state of emergency in Al-Qadarif, located along the border with Ethiopia, as well as Atbara, Al-Damir and Berber cities.

Sudan’s economy has been struggling with inflation which reached 68.64 per cent in September. It later dropped to 68.64 in October, leaving workers grappling with high living costs.

In January the government slashed subsidies causing food prices to rise by 50 per cent.